Our day began pretty early so that we could catch a ferry from Bridgeport, CT, to Port Jefferson, NY, on Long Island. We made the most of our time here, visiting two national park units. Kelsey was especially excited about the first: Sagamore Hill, home of Theodore Roosevelt. She wrote a report about him in second grade, and he's been a favorite ever since. And now that we know even more about him, our admiration runs deeper still. He was a true family man, and said many times that his greatest joy came from times with his wife and children. His career was a rocket ride to the White House and involved a stint as Asst Secretary of the Navy, founder and leader of the Rough Riders volunteer cavalry in the Spanish-American War, governor of New York and finally Vice President, the office he held when President McKinley was assassinated in 1901. Inaugurated in Buffalo, NY, site of the assassination, he was just 42 years old, the youngest ever to take office (Kennedy was the youngest elected).
One of the most astounding facts we learned about TR today: so much land was set aside for preservation and protection during his 7 1/2 years in the White House that it averaged out to 84,000 acres per day. That figure encompasses 150 national forests, 51 bird reservations, 18 national monuments, five national parks, and three game preserves. That last category seems a bit incongruous with Sagamore Hill's interior, in which numerous animal skins and mounts are displayed (we're talking 200, easily). It made us a bit uncomfortable to have bared teeth and glass eyes following our every move. It goes without saying that TR was an avid game hunter; we think he was pretty fortunate to have a wife that didn't mind his trophies underfoot, overhead, front and center, and every other location imaginable.
The second site we visited, Fire Island National Seashore, is famous for its own variety of creatures: ticks and mosquitos. The pests are especially pesky right now, as there's lots of standing water thanks to Hurricane Irene and the feisty swells of Katia, passing these shores--well out to sea--right now. We made a fast dash down the 3/4 mile boardwalk to the Fire Island Lighthouse visitor center. The literature (and a direction-giving ranger at the entrance booth) failed to mention that the walk passes within 50 yards of a clothing-optional beach! Due to recent erosion, the usually shielded stretch had moved near the top of the dunes, and Stan and I got a few unanticipated eyefuls. Thankfully, the girls were so focused on their boardwalk footing that they were blissfully unaware. Whew!
We'll catch the return ferry tomorrow morning and visit another national park site, Weir Farm, before returning to Teensie. We hope the girls' hard swim this evening in the hotel pool will make for a good night of sleep for all of us...with no nightmares of a particular beach scene. :-)
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| Sagamore Hill...this land was bare of trees when TR had the home built in 1880. He had 270-degree views of the sea back then. Now, you'd never know the coast is nearby. |
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| The newest junior rangers at Sagamore Hill |
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| Keeping eyes front and center |
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| This stretch of beach dune, a little ways from the lighthouse, was washed out by Irene and sustained additional damage from Katia last night. |
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| Fire Island Lighthouse reaches 167 feet into the sky and is visible from many miles inland. |
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